Freshman Sydney Shelton works her way around a defender. Photo by Adam Cvik.
DANA LEE | SPORTS REPORTER | delee1@butler.edu
A series of back and forth possessions between the Butler University women’s basketball team and Xavier University in the final minutes of the game resulted in overtime play and a Big East win for the Bulldogs. The road win on Jan. 8 bumps the women’s record to 5-11 and 2-3 in the Big East.
Butler got off to a slow offensive start before elevating their scoring in the second half. The team shot 30 percent from the field in the first two quarters but improved their accuracy to 51 percent in the final quarters.
Xavier leads Butler 39-26 at the half. Michelle Weaver leads BU with 10 points, one rebound and one steal
— Butler W Basketball (@ButlerWBB) January 8, 2017
After chipping away at a 13-point deficit in the second quarter, the Bulldogs entered the second half with a 10-2 scoring run to set the foundation for the final quarter.
BU won the 3Q 16-13, but trails Xavier at the Cintas Center 52-42
— Butler W Basketball (@ButlerWBB) January 8, 2017
Xavier held a 60-58 lead in the last minute of regulation. Butler’s attempt to win the game with a 3-pointer failed to work, resulting in a Musketeer possession that could potentially seal a win. However, a shot clock violation from the home team allowed guard Michelle Weaver to put up two points for Butler and tie the game with 17 seconds left.
The game remained tied at 60 points to force overtime. The two teams combined shot 0-for-10 from the field in the five minutes of extra play. Instead, overtime was dominated by free throw shooting. The Bulldogs won after outscoring Xavier 5-2 in free throws.
Butler leads Xavier 64-62 with 1 min to play in overtime. Butler ball after the timeout
— Butler W Basketball (@ButlerWBB) January 8, 2017
Sophomore Tori Schickel went 10-for-14 from the free throw line and was 50 percent from the field to garner 20 points. The forward accumulated 20 rebounds to lead Butler. Weaver contributed 15 points while teammate Alexa Bailey shot 10 points for a career-high.
Butler held Xavier to just eight points in the fourth quarter. The Musketeers started the half shooting 60 percent from the field before dropping to 27 percent in the second half of the game. Raeshaun Gaffney led the way for Xavier with 16 points.
Junior veteran Sydney Buck made a notable return for the Bulldogs after missing several games due to a lower body injury. The guard score five points in 27 minutes of play.
The team will travel to No. 21 DePaul University on Jan. 13 for an 8 p.m. game.
